Used clothing drop-off bins requested in Clarington

OVERT wants to place bins on municipal property to fill need for consistent funding

CLARINGTON -- A group of emergency response volunteers wants to set up used clothing drop boxes in Clarington as a fundraiser.

The Ontario Volunteer Emergency Response Team (OVERT) is asking Clarington for permission to place the drop boxes on municipal property.

"OVERT has started a very exciting fundraising program," Alexis Fry, unit manager of OVERT, told council at its Nov. 19 meeting. "We are hoping to set these up on municipal property, such as arenas and community centres."

OVERT does not get consistent government funding. Money to cover operational costs comes from fundraising events or private donations. The current economy is impacting the amount of money the volunteer group has been able to raise.

OVERT is now partnering with DYN Exports to distribute used clothing bins for donations. DYN Exports, based in Vaughan, recycles used clothing into products for people in North America and in developing countries. The company works with charities, putting the charity's name on the box and giving the organization a percentage of the profits.

"We're very emphatic about being legitimate and licensed... Forty-three per cent of what that company is gathering is coming to our agency," said Glen Turpin of OVERT. "It's also directing clothing away from landfills. It's a very green program."

If the bins are allowed, DYN Exports will be responsible for collecting the clothing and maintenance. The bins will be emptied and inspected weekly. If there are any issues with people leaving items beside the box, the company will send a maintenance truck to address the problem, Mr. Turpin assured council.

"There will be no eyesores," promised Mr. Turpin.

OVERT is based in Durham Region and has been in operation since 1996. The group helps with local emergencies, including a propane storage facility explosion in Bowmanville in 2004, and has now expanded to international operations. The volunteers have worked in Peru, Indonesia, Burma, Thailand, Cambodia and Haiti, explained Mr. Turpin.

Mr. Turpin said the volunteer agency works hard to keep overhead costs low, with only five per cent of donations going to administration and the rest spent on operations.

"We really try to utilize the value of our dollars as much as possible," said Mr. Turpin. "The people we serve are the ones who benefit from those dollars."

Council asked municipal staff to investigate the request and report back.